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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29918019">All Things End: Finale</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Couragefan09/pseuds/Couragefan09'>Couragefan09</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The All Things End Series [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Courage the Cowardly Dog</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drama, Fluff and Angst, Horror, Humor, M/M, Psychological Horror, Romance, Slow Burn, Tearjerker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 20:41:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>20,320</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29918019</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Couragefan09/pseuds/Couragefan09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The third and final part of All Things End. The world has gone just a little crazy, and if our favorite duo can somehow escape it unscathed, Courage has a decision to make that will decide more than just his own fate.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Computer/Courage (Courage the Cowardly Dog)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The All Things End Series [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/292769</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Apocalypse Doesn't Pay The Bills</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Here's a reminder that you can find most ATE related fan art here:</p><p>https://www.deviantart.com/ate-art-group/</p><p>And a big ATE themed music playlist here where some of the music occasionally gets used in the story itself:</p><p>https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsIPCaXeRaTKmb0Qxh589vAXTe7XpZbMe</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>A/N: Here we are with the unplanned third 'not' volume of All Things End. If you're a new reader, do not start here. You will understand absolutely zero of what is going on. Go read Volume 1 and 2 and then come back or else you're going to be very lost. For returning readers, as is tradition, the song I am recommending for Finale as a whole is 'The Other Shore' by Aly &amp; Fila.</p><p> </p><p>All Things End: Finale</p><p> </p><p>By: CourageFan09</p><p> </p><p>Chapter 1: The Apocalypse Doesn't Pay The Bills</p><p> </p><p>Caitlin Gibson was the one and only employee left in the entire gas station. A popular pit stop for travelers, it now sat empty with everything from its multiple fast food stations to its coffee shop and gift shop having been left entirely unmanned. Everyone else had fled, including her boss. It didn't matter much though. Nobody had stopped to fill up on gas in at least an hour. Oh, there had been a brief mad rush before, but then it had all...stopped.</p><p> </p><p>They had all heard the rumblings that some sort of emergency was occurring in the city. There had been talk of an ongoing evacuation from the people who had come in during the unexpected rush. It had not surprised them at all after how long those government people had been scouring the city for a weapon or creature or something of the sort. Caitlin had not really paid much attention to any of that. She lived in a town a few miles from here and almost never went into the city unless it was to shop or go to a concert.</p><p> </p><p>Well, with all of the bad news coming out of the city, her fellow employees had started to get nervous. It wasn't until they saw a bright light burst out of the city and all of the traffic came to a complete and total stop that they began to flee. Even now she could see the city on the horizon through the windows of the gas station and she was certain that she could see it shifting and moving about like some sort of living creature, but that just did not make any sort of sense.</p><p> </p><p>A large crocodile of a woman, she had decided that she was going to keep her tail planted firmly where it was. If a nuclear bomb was about to go off in the city and start World War Three, it wasn't like she was going to be alive to care, and if it was just a false alarm, well, she was still getting paid right now, and the bills were due.</p><p> </p><p>She pulled out one of the many cigarettes she kept hidden in the folds of her scales. She knew that she wasn't supposed to be smoking on the job, but who was going to bust her for it now? Besides, if this really was the end of the world, she was going to go out enjoying herself.</p><p> </p><p>“Always thought these things were gonna kill me.” She murmured to herself, smoke rising up through her sharp teeth. “Never thought I'd go out in a terrorist attack, or whatever.”</p><p> </p><p>The cigarette slipped out of her claws when she heard the glass doors slide open, accompanied by the annoyingly familiar jingle that she was sure would be her eternal punishment in hell. For a moment she was certain that one of the employees had come back to rescue her after she had made her casual announcement that she felt it was pointless to flee. Forgetting her cigarette, she rushed to the counter. Her hopes were immediately dashed.</p><p> </p><p>Standing at the entrance was a disheveled, soggy dog with a missing ear and a downright radioactive looking blue glow. He was breathing heavily as he scanned the massive gas station. His eyes fell upon the abandoned coffee shop counter, and with a look that Caitlin could only describe as manic desperation, he turned to her and blurted out,</p><p> </p><p>“Woman, I demand your finest Double Ristretto Venti, Half-Soy, Nonfat, Decaf, Organic, Chocolate Brownie, Iced Vanilla, Double-Shot, Gingerbread Frappuccino, Extra Hot with Foam, Whipped Cream, Upside Down, Double Blended, with One Sweet'N Low and One Nutrasweet, and Ice!”</p><p> </p><p>Caitlin blinked, too bewildered to question anything that was going on at the moment. “Uh, sure.” She said, reaching to pull out a notebook and pen from beneath the counter. “But...could you repeat some of that?”</p><p> </p><p>Even though she was not trained to work the coffee counter, she did her best to fill the guy's order. She then proceeded to watch in amazement as the dog slammed the scalding hot coffee like a man who had just spent three days out in a desert without any water. If it had hurt him, he did not show it. He then had her make a far more simple pot of regular old black coffee as he half limped and half stumbled his way over to the nearest table.</p><p> </p><p>It was around that point that she realized that the dog didn't seem to have any money on him, but he was such a mess that she decided she wouldn't make a problem out of it. Much like with her smoking, nobody was around to notice some coffee going unpaid for. If they were all on the verge of being blown up, it wasn't like it mattered.</p><p> </p><p>She remained stationed by the table, repeatedly refilling the dog's cup as he downed the coffee at speeds she didn't think was possible. His eyes kept wander up toward the window to gaze out at the weirdly shifting city, only to seemingly have some unknown force jerk his eyesight back down onto the coffee cup. This repeated multiple times until the dog finally cried out in an entirely different voice from the one Caitlin had been hearing,</p><p> </p><p>“Seriously, Compute! What the heck are we going to do about that?”</p><p> </p><p>...The dog was talking to himself, and somehow switching between two voices that sounded nothing alike.</p><p> </p><p>“I-I don't know!” The other voice exclaimed, throwing his paws up into the air. “When I signed up for this whole 'getting you to the mountain to save your life' thing, stopping the end of the world was not in the job description!”</p><p> </p><p>His eyes suddenly snapped in Caitlin's direction, alarmed, as if he had forgotten that she was there. Her expression did all of the talking for her.</p><p> </p><p>“It's....not as weird as it looks.” He offered, but then reconsidered it. “Actually, it's every bit as weird as it looks, keep pouring.”</p><p> </p><p>Caitlin simply shrugged and did her job.</p><p> </p><p>The other voice took over again. “But what are we gonna do? We can't just let them sacrifice people until there are so many Constructs melded into them that they can cover the entire world!”</p><p> </p><p>“I told you, I don't know! I specialize in useless trivia about <em>domestic </em>supernatural threats, not world ending ones!”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, we should focus on what we <em>can</em> do. I know that you're upset about your friends, and we can't do anything for them right now, but we can help those puppies who live outside of the city, right?”</p><p> </p><p>The dog's single ear shot up in alarm, and that much more, er, <em>fancy </em>sounding voice exclaimed, “<em>The puppies!”</em></p><p> </p><p>He jumped down from the chair, not even sparing Caitlin a glance. He rushed for the door and was gone in an instant. She caught a glimpse of him running across the parking lot through the window, and that was it. She never saw that weird, glowing dog with the two different voices ever again.</p><p> </p><p>Shrugging, she looked down at the nearly empty pot of coffee in her claws. “I don't get paid enough for this crazy blue dog shit.” She complained, and went to clock out for the day.</p><p> </p><p>End Of Chapter</p><p> </p><p>A/N: This chapter is definitely a bit shorter than normal, but I wanted it to act as more of an intro anyway. I figured that a short, weird perspective switch would be interesting to write and read. We'll be back to regular sized chapters after this.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Desperate Search</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 2: A Desperate Search</p><p> </p><p>They could hear it. Even at this distance. A constant metallic clanging, thunderous booming, and the hissing of steam. It was all the sounds of a factory amplified to an unnerving degree. Any glimpse of the city that they could still get at this point showed the same eerie sight that they had first seen after being deposited in that pond on the outskirts. The city was shifting and moving about as buildings were dismantled to create something new. It looked as if massive walls were slowly being built up, even though it wasn't as if the amalgamation actually needed such a thing. No living creature or machine could go near that city now, not without falling under their control.</p><p> </p><p>Courage had to fight to ignore the intense pain in his legs as they ran. Even with Computer at the helm it didn't stop Courage from feeling the same pain that his companion could so easily push past to keep them going. Not even their short break at the gas station had been enough to restore strength to his aching limbs. Courage knew that his ill body desperately needed some genuine rest, but with how much he could feel Computer's worry for the puppies, he did not have it in him to speak up. He would endure this for as long as he could.</p><p> </p><p>It had taken them a little while to figure out where they were going. Computer did not know the area particularly well so he could only go off of certain landmarks that he could remember seeing when Charon took him into the city. After a bit of guess work, he managed to find the street he was looking for some distance away from the highway and gas station.</p><p> </p><p>Courage had never thought that it was possible for anyone to be so relieved to see so many run down, boarded up buildings, but that was exactly what Computer was feeling right now. He rushed down the street, looking for a specific turn that he needed to take.</p><p> </p><p>Courage found this place somewhat interesting, in a depressing sort of way. This might very well have been the main street of a small town ages ago. Perhaps the continual growth of the city had caused this place to lose any relevancy it might have once had and most people moved away.</p><p> </p><p>“Almost there!” Computer said when he found the heavily degrading street that he needed to turn down. He could sense just how much Courage was having to fight to not let the pain and exhaustion get to him, so he wanted nothing more than to hurry up and reunite with the puppies so Courage could get the rest that he so badly needed.</p><p> </p><p>They had to slow down considerably on this street thanks to how cracked and overgrown the pavement was with vegetation. Courage inevitably picked up a few images from Computer of the chase he had gone on to catch Spot and get his stolen thing back. Now his companion was left wondering how he had ever managed to keep up with the pup on a road like this.</p><p> </p><p>An extremely old and weathered looking house soon came into view. Courage was amazed that it was still standing with how rotten the wood looked. It reminded him of the farmhouse back in Nowhere, if it had been left abandoned for a decade or two.</p><p> </p><p>Computer was familiar with this place, but passed it up. They instead went around and headed into a small grove of bare, twisted trees. A little beyond that was their destination, something that Computer silently assured to an aching Courage.</p><p> </p><p>But of course, just as they were nearly through the trees, Courage's body finally gave out, much to Computer's dismay. The brief wave of hazy weakness struck and then exploded into indescribable pain. Courage's legs came to a stumbling stop, but they did not fall. Instead, Courage's shaking knees locked into place. Even as every nerve in Courage's body exploded into fiery agony, Computer kept them standing. It would have amazed Courage if it did not hurt so much. He had never, ever been able to stay standing like this during an attack. By now he'd be writhing on the floor, unable to control his limbs.</p><p> </p><p>Computer took a step forward, their shared vision darkening and becoming increasingly red, like the veins in Courage's eyeballs were bursting. Fighting the attack only made it hurt so much worse. Courage felt like every muscle in his body was swelling up and ready to tear apart. He was only getting the smallest amounts of air into his lungs because his chest muscles were locked in place and constricting every breath he could take. He felt like he was drowning on dry land.</p><p> </p><p>And still Computer did not let them drop. He reached out for a tree trunk to steady himself and continued to push past the utter hell Courage's body was going through. But of course, what he could deal with was not the same for Courage.</p><p> </p><p>Another agonizing step forward only increased the pain tenfold, and Courage hit his limit. He wanted to scream, and he could only hope that it would get Computer's attention, but when he tried to do exactly that, he realized with a jolt of horror that he could not do anything at all. The thing that Computer had been trying to avoid, in his desperation to get to the puppies, he was doing it without realizing. Courage was trapped in his own mind, with no control over himself and no means to make his plight known.</p><p> </p><p>Another step and even more liquid fire ignited in Courage's legs and torso. He was suffocating, burning up, having hot knives stabbed into every part of his body over and over again. He screamed uselessly inside of his own head.</p><p> </p><p><em>'Stop! Please, stop!' </em>He thought, desperate to get Computer's attention, but his companion was so focused, so determined to keep moving and fight through the ever increasing pain that he could not hear Courage calling out to him or sense how much pain he was putting him in.</p><p> </p><p><em>'Stop! Stop! PLEASE!' </em>Courage begged, his panicked thoughts increasing in tempo as the pain only continued to grow. He could not help but wonder in his agony if Computer's recklessness was about to get them killed. His illness would beat Computer's unshakable determination in the end, and there was no way to know what the damage of this prolonged fight would be.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>'Stop! Stop! STOP! STOP! StopStopStopStopStop!'</em>
</p><p> </p><p>His mind gave in to fear, panic, and pain, and all conscious thought ceased. There was nothing left other than sheer agony and a feral plea for it to end.</p><p> </p><p>Finally, <em>finally</em>, Computer picked up on Courage's emotions. Horror ripped through him as he realized what he was doing. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, with his concentration broken, he immediately lost control of Courage's limbs and dropped. They both blacked out long before Courage's body hit the ground.</p><p> </p><p>….</p><p> </p><p>Courage woke with a shuddering gasp. Computer jolted back to life in the same moment. They were cushioned by the grass that Courage slowly and painfully raised his head up out of. Drool trailed from his mouth, although his tongue felt like sandpaper. Keeping his head raised like that was simply too tiring for him and so his snout hit the grass again.</p><p> </p><p>He rolled over and saw that the sky was turning a sunset orange. Night was nearly upon them. He could only assume that it was the same day of his attack or else the amalgamation would have likely had the time to expand and bulldoze this area, taking them out along with it.</p><p> </p><p>Mortified by what he had done, Computer pressed himself back in Courage's mind as far as his much bigger presence would allow and let Courage take over in full. It was no use though. No matter how much Courage tried to stand, it hurt too much. All he could do was flounder there in the grass looking pathetic and weak. Computer had no other choice but to take over again, but even he struggled to get Courage standing.</p><p> </p><p>They slowly pressed onward, Courage sinking deeper inside of his own head, too tired to do much else. This concerned Computer considerably, but all he could do was press onward for now. Putting aside the puppies, it was too dangerous to linger in this area with the amalgamation possibly expanding outward. As soon as they were somewhere safe, he would force Courage to rest, end of the world be dammed.</p><p> </p><p>They soon came upon the ruin of a collapsed house and Computer found a small gap in the broken piles of rotten wood. He squeezed through it, having to fight Courage's fatigue just as much as he had to fight to work his way downwards through the hole. He came out in a small clearing in the basement, calling out to puppies before he could even get a good look.</p><p> </p><p>There were no puppies, as he quickly found out with considerable dismay. Signs of their existence still lingered. Empty wrappers were strewn about, along with open, empty cans of soda and bottles of water. There was no way to know when they had abandoned this place, or where they might have gone. Computer was, ultimately, no closer to finding them.</p><p> </p><p>Sighing, he turned and made his way back up through the hole in the ruins. Once on the outside, he collapsed into the grass, suddenly unable to bear the constant pain and exhaustion gripping Courage's ill body.</p><p> </p><p>“Why is everything always going wrong?” He groaned, running both of Courage's paws down his face.</p><p> </p><p>Courage was too wiped out mentally to respond. In fact, he barely heard Computer at all, and he did not have a good grasp on what was going on outside of himself either. His mind was barely functioning. While not unconscious, he was not fully 'there' either. It was just one more thing that Computer was slowly growing more and more worried about.</p><p> </p><p>After a few minutes of resting, and fighting past a feeling of overwhelming defeat, Computer shakily got back onto Courage's feet. He had them go back the way they had come, and once there, he stepped inside that rotten, old house to check if the puppies might have returned there.</p><p> </p><p>It was abandoned too.</p><p> </p><p>He slowly made his way back down the overgrown street, exhausted and overcome with worry. Thinking for a little while, he said to Courage, “I've decided on what we should do next.”</p><p> </p><p>Courage did not respond. He did not even acknowledge that Computer had spoke at all. His presence was a small, dim, dying flame compared to Computer's overbearing one.</p><p> </p><p>“Courage?” His companion asked. “Courage!” He repeated, louder. “COURAGE!”</p><p> </p><p>That shout was enough to shake Courage out of his exhausted stupor. “Y-yeah?”</p><p> </p><p>Silent for a moment, something that Computer had already reluctantly decided upon only became more settled and fully justified in his mind.</p><p> </p><p>“I'm going to search for a little while longer for any clues as to where the puppies might have gone, and after that I'm taking you back to the SCC.”</p><p> </p><p>His declaration brought Courage back to full alertness and he fearfully cried out, “Wait, no! D-don't do that!”</p><p> </p><p>“Courage, I-” He began to argue, the words dying on his lips. He seemed to reconsider what he was going to say and rephrased it, “This...isn't good for you. My presence is wearing you down, and it <em>will</em> be the end of you at the rate things are going. We both knew from the very start that this was never going to be sustainable. Besides, I blew it back there. It's proof enough that no matter how hard I try to act otherwise, I am still made to suppress the mind of my host, and all it takes is one slip up like that to make you suffer unjustifiably. We may be able to exist like this in something at least resembling harmony, but I still have ultimate power over you, and you know better than most that I'm not someone who should have any sort of power over others.”</p><p> </p><p>“But, but-” Courage argued, trying to get his worn out brain to start thinking properly again. “We can't go back to the SCC! You're the only person and machine that can go near the amalgamation now without immediately being taken over. What do you think is going to happen when the SCC figures that out? Nothing good, obviously!”</p><p> </p><p>Computer shook his head listlessly. “It doesn't matter. I will not be the cause of your death, and since we don't have another means to remove me from your brain right now, we have to go back to Elizabeth.”</p><p> </p><p>They continued to argue about this until they had walked nearly the entire length of the dilapidated main street. They only stopped when they heard the rumble of an engine followed by an amplified voice declaring a mandatory evacuation.</p><p> </p><p>The two of them hastily looked around for a place to hide, just as an SCC van turned down the street. While Computer did want to go with them, he wasn't ready to leave just yet. He still had some small amount of hope that he might be able to figure out what had become of the puppies.</p><p> </p><p>It was getting dark enough that their glow would easily be seen, so they needed to find a hiding place that would conceal them entirely. Courage's eyes scanned the boarded up windows and doors closest to them, and noted a window with one board missing. It would be a tight squeeze, but...</p><p> </p><p>Computer acknowledged what he was thinking and went over to it. He jump upward, the tips of his fingers just barely managing to reach the windowsill. He climbed up onto it and squeezed through, probably pulling some of Courage's fur out in the process. It was not a moment too soon though. They heard the van rumble past as one of the people inside continued to repeat the evacuation message over a loudspeaker.</p><p> </p><p>“Did you hear that?” Computer said, which was a pointless thing to ask since they shared the same hearing. “It looks like they've set up an evacuation camp for the people who have been displaced. I bet Elizabeth would be there, and the puppies might also...” He trailed off, knowing that it was wishful thinking. The puppies had been on their own for well over a month. Anything could have happened to them in that stretch of time.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, who are you!” An old, crackling voice suddenly yelled, pulling Computer out of his thoughts.</p><p> </p><p>He looked up in alarm to see an old, decrepit, shaggy dog standing in the darkened doorway across the room. He was somehow even smaller than Courage himself. His black, beady eyes leered at them from behind a curtain of dirty, tangled fur.</p><p> </p><p>“This is my house!” He snapped, shuffling forward on stiff legs. “You can't have it!”</p><p> </p><p>The elderly dog was not exactly a threat. At most he would try to bite them, or more like gum them with his toothless mouth.</p><p> </p><p>Computer raised Courage's paws in a nonthreatening gesture. “We're not moving in or anything! We just needed a place to hide!”</p><p> </p><p>The dog came to a slow and somewhat delayed stop, like it took awhile for his body to catch up with what his brain was telling it to do.</p><p> </p><p>“Is that so?” He asked, raising a big, shaggy eyebrow. “At least knock then for goodness sake! You're going to give this ol' mutt a heart attack droppin' in like this!” He let out a huff that sent his facial fur flying for a moment. He then turned and went on muttering to himself, “...Makin' me think that Charon's come back from the dead to start harassin' those of us with nothin' but the fur on our back for protection money again.”</p><p> </p><p>Computer blinked in surprise at the dog's grumpy ranting. “You know that Charon is dead?”</p><p> </p><p>The elderly dog whipped around again. “O'course! Everyone could see the smoke, even from here, and then some stray came back from the city to tell us the good news.”</p><p> </p><p>“I might have had something to do with that...” Computer offered, prepping to ask his next question with the hope that it might instill some goodwill in the crotchety old man. “Hey, you wouldn't have happened to see any puppies around here lately? Spot's group?”</p><p> </p><p>The dog's beady eyes sparkled with understanding. “Them kids? Oh, yes. I've seen 'em. They disappeared for awhile after Charon took Spot. Figured they had a stash of food hidden somewhere for when the inevitable finally happened. I'm just surprised Spot could keep 'em from eatin' through it before then. Well, they did eventually run out, 'cause I saw them around here scroungin' for any food that they could find. I suppose that poor Spot kid got blown up along with Charon, if one of Charon's fighters didn't get to him first. He was always lookin' out for the rest of them kids. Bit of a sad sight to see them all so desperate after everything he did for 'em.”</p><p> </p><p>Courage's ear drooped in dismay as Computer took in everything he was being told. “Do you have any idea where they might be now? Have you seen them around recently?”</p><p> </p><p>Part of him was terrified that they had left for the city in a desperate bid to find food, and if that were the case then they had likely been caught up in the amalgamation's attack. The only thing that offered him any sort of comfort was that the amalgamation would have known about them through his memories and so they would have tried to use them against him. Since they had not been there with the others, maybe...</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” The elderly dog answered. “I saw 'em this morning.”</p><p> </p><p>Computer jumped onto Courage's aching feet at that.</p><p> </p><p>“W-where? Do you know where they went?”</p><p> </p><p>The dog waved a paw toward the gap in the window behind Computer. “I look out through that window a lot, to pass the time. Those black vans have been going through here all day, tell'n us to go to this evacuation camp of theirs. Bah! I ain't leavin' my home! No, sir! Don't care if danger is comin'! I'll die here if I must!”</p><p> </p><p>Impatient, Computer interrupted his ranting, “But what about the puppies?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, right. Well, they were doin' their thing this mornin'. Gettin' ready to split up to look for food. One of the vans came through then and they all hid, like you did. Once it was gone, they came back together and started talkin'.”</p><p> </p><p>“...And?” Computer pressed when the old dog trailed off into silence.</p><p> </p><p>“They decided that they were going to head off to that evacuation camp because there might be food there. If yer lookin' for 'em then you've missed 'em by almost a day.”</p><p> </p><p>Relief washed over Computer. His hunch had been right. Not only could he save Courage now, but the puppies were safe in the place that he wanted to get to anyway. He hoped that he would be able to see them again soon.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you.” He told the dog. “We'll, er, <em>I'll </em>leave you and your 'home' in peace.”</p><p> </p><p>One more fur destroying squeeze through the gap again and he was back on the outside. Not a moment too soon either because the van was circling back toward him.</p><p> </p><p>Ignoring Courage's plea not to do this, he took a deep breath and stepped out into the middle of the road. The van slowed to a stop. He could see the two occupants inside staring at him with their mouths agape in complete and total shock.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, uh, Missing Government Super Weapon here. I would very much like it if you could give me a ride to this camp place you've got set up so that I can talk to Elizabeth.”</p><p> </p><p>The two SCC people looked at each other with absolute terror in their expressions and proceeded to hug each other while screaming.</p><p> </p><p>“I don't have time for this.” Computer grumbled, stepping toward the van. He climbed up the front of it, crawled across the hood, and pressed his snout into the windshield with a deep frown and piercing glare. “Let me in before I go all Super Weapon on you morons!”</p><p> </p><p>Still hugging each other and trembling, one of them reached forward and pressed a button on the dashboard. The sound of the back doors opening could be heard.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you for your cooperation!” Computer sarcastically told them with his face still pressed up against the windshield.</p><p> </p><p>End Of Chapter</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Camp</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 3: The Camp</p><p> </p><p>It took well over an hour for the van to reach its destination. Courage had inevitably drifted off to sleep during that time while Computer himself did his best not to let Courage's body jolt around whenever a bump in the road was hit. He seemed to have done his job well because Courage never once woke up, or maybe it was just that Courage was so wiped out that nothing would have been able to wake him anyway.</p><p> </p><p>In any case, the van had stopped moving a little while ago. Nobody had come to open the back doors, but Computer could often hear people speaking on the outside. They were probably trying to figure out what to do with their returned super weapon. It did not matter to him, just so long as this ended with him in a different body from Courage's. He still felt awful about what he had done before, and he could not bear being the cause of Courage's suffering like this. The sooner Courage was back to normal, the better.</p><p> </p><p>Easily another hour passed before the back doors of the van were ripped open and Computer suddenly had multiple guns pointed directly at him from the outside. As if that would have saved those morons if his power were working properly right now! An obnoxiously bright spotlight was being shined into the van too, practically blinding him. He could not see much on the outside aside from the guns and the silhouettes of the people holding them.</p><p> </p><p>All of the commotion resulted in Courage waking up, which had Computer fuming. He was so tired of these morons acting like he was about to blow them all up!</p><p> </p><p>“What's going on?” Courage asked in a sleepy tone, just as blinded by the light as Computer was.</p><p> </p><p>“We're getting the usual SCC welcome.” He grumbled back with considerable annoyance.</p><p> </p><p>A figure stepped into the light with her hands on her hips. “I cannot believe this!” She exclaimed, sounding more furious than amazed. “I was sure that the amalgamation would have caught you and reintegrated you back into themselves by now. I cannot help but wonder if this is some sort of trap, because I cannot think of any reason why you would willfully return to the SCC.”</p><p> </p><p>Computer hopped down from the bench he had been sitting on for the length of their journey to this place. A gasp rose from the shadowy figures and even more guns were pointed at him.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, enough!” He huffed. “I'm here because I want you to move me into a different body. My presence is wearing Courage down and something needs to be done about it.” Realizing that he needed to keep up appearances, he quickly added as cover, “I could very easily move myself into another body, but I cannot modify my own programming, so unless you put me back to normal, whoever else I possess stays awake too, and I would rather not have to deal with that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, I see.” Elizabeth mused. “That can be arranged, but it will take some time. The machine I used to move you into the dog's brain was lost in the evacuation. I will need to find the parts required to make something similar.”</p><p> </p><p>Elizabeth raised a hand and the SCC soldiers backed away.</p><p> </p><p>“Follow me. I will assign you a tent that you and the dog can use until I am ready to remove you from his brain.”</p><p> </p><p>Computer cautiously moved toward the end of the van. He kept expecting the guns to rise up again and start shooting, but it really was looking as if Elizabeth was willing to cooperate with him.</p><p> </p><p>He jumped down into the grass and a cool night breeze ruffled his fur. Upon moving past the spotlight, he finally got a good look at the SCC's evacuation camp. There were enough lights that even in the dark he could see everything fairly well. A huge clearing was spread out before him, and there were more tents set up across it than he could ever hope to count. At the other end of the clearing, a hill gently sloped upward before leveling off at the top where more tents could be seen. There were no tents on the slope itself, but he could see dark shapes moving up and down between the two sections of the camp. Even at this late hour there were still SCC vans showing up to deposit evacuees. Huge lines of people could be seen waiting to be assigned a tent.</p><p> </p><p>Computer stayed a few paces behind Elizabeth as they walked through the lower half of the camp. He could feel Courage silently urging him to tell her about their encounter with the amalgamation and what they had found out. Computer wasn't sure if it would help, but the situation was bad enough that it couldn't possibly hurt to tell her.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, uh, there's something you should know.” He said, picking up his pace to walk beside her.</p><p> </p><p>She barely spared him a glance. “Speak up then.”</p><p> </p><p>“...No patience at all, huh?” Computer grumbled, suddenly reconsidering talking to her.</p><p> </p><p>Courage harshly whispered to him, “Stop letting her get under your skin and just tell her!”</p><p> </p><p>“Fine, fine.” He sighed, running a paw down his face. “Listen here, you annoying woman! We did encounter the amalgamation before we escaped the city. You must know by now that they are taking control of anyone who comes near them. Why else would people have stopped escaping the city all at once? That city and everyone still trapped inside are theirs now, and they are planning on sacrificing those people to create more Constructs to add to themselves! Their power and influence will only to continue to grow! They could reach this camp in a matter of days!”</p><p> </p><p>“Calm down.” Elizabeth coolly replied. “The ritual used to create Constructs requires a considerable amount of time to set up properly along with certain materials that are not easy to come by. Even with an entire army under their control capable of setting up multiple rituals at once, the amalgamation still cannot mass produce Constructs in a short amount of time. Even if they could, I don't think that they would be so quick to meld more into themselves. They were knocked out of commission for well over a decade last time. They will want to be cautious this time around, I'm sure. I suspect that they will take the time to experiment first to see if they can find a way to fuse new Constructs into themselves without causing a catastrophic amount of damage to themselves. If they are unable to, it is unlikely that they will do anything until they feel secure enough that they can survive another decade or two broken and helpless.”</p><p> </p><p>Computer frowned and picked up even more speed, feeling Courage's leg muscles protest the increase in activity. He pulled ahead of Elizabeth and stopped in front of her, forcing her to slow to a stop as well.</p><p> </p><p>Glaring hatefully at her, he said, “You are much too cavalier about this for someone who has done nothing but consistently make the situation worse at every opportunity! You are not taking this threat seriously enough! The SCC should be doing more than just setting up a camp that's probably going to end up crushed under a wall of metal when my siblings reach starts to extend this far in a week or two.”</p><p> </p><p>Elizabeth crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “Oooh, does the talking calculator that's convinced itself that it is a person think that it knows how to run my organization better than me?”</p><p> </p><p>Computer's frown deepened.</p><p> </p><p>“I am perfectly aware of how dire the situation is.” She affirmed with a grumpy frown of her own. “There is very little left that any of us can do to stop that thing. For the reasons I've already outlined, I believe that the situation is ever so slightly more hopeful than it might seem. If my theory is correct and they cannot expand their influence as easily as it might seem, I will have time to do some research and possibly come up with a new means to stop them.”</p><p> </p><p>Eyes narrowing, Computer sarcastically argued back, “Oh, <em>great</em>! Another ill thought out plan for you and your organization to balls-up and make everything twenty times worse! Well, whatever you decide to do, keep me out of it! I'm only here because I want to get back into a body of my own for Courage's sake!”</p><p> </p><p>Elizabeth pushed forward, laughing. “Body of your own? You can't have a body of your own, you damn parasite! You are lucky that I am even giving you the option! You are nothing more than SCC property and you do not have the right to any sort of autonomy!”</p><p> </p><p>Computer rolled his eyes and started walking after her again. “Well, I may be a parasite but at least I'm not a mummified ghoul who can't run this organization for shi-”</p><p> </p><p>Elizabeth wheeled around with an absolutely terrifying expression. Well, it was terrifying for Courage. Computer was utterly unfazed.</p><p> </p><p>“Not another word, parasite! Or else I will make you regret returning to the SCC!”</p><p> </p><p>Computer opened his mouth to argue further but Courage stopped him. He was the only one who seemed to have realized just how dangerous the situation was getting. He had never seen Elizabeth this angry before.</p><p> </p><p>In a big huff, she turned around and stomped onward. They eventually reached the hill and made their way up to the top. Courage could sense how much Computer wanted to keep angering this woman that he despised so much, but Courage kept their mouth firmly shut...for his safety.</p><p> </p><p>They walked down the first line of tents that overlooked the lower half of the camp below. Elizabeth checked several of the signs posted to every tent until finally she found one that she was looking for.</p><p> </p><p>“This will be your tent.” She announced in an emotionless tone. “A certain amount of food rations are given out to everyone daily. I'll send someone with a little extra since that dog looks like he is about to keel over.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you for your boundless generosity.” Computer quipped before Courage could stop him.</p><p> </p><p>Elizabeth leaned down, pressed a hand into Courage's back, and shoved him into the tent. She leered at him through a gap in the opening. “I will summon you in a day or two, after I've had the time to scavenge for the parts I need to create another machine that can extract you from the dog. I do not want to see hide nor hair of you until then, got it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Happily!” Computer agreed. Although before Elizabeth could leave, he quickly asked, “You wouldn't have happened to see a group of puppies running around here, have you?”</p><p> </p><p>She stared at him like he was stupid.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you really think that I've been keeping tabs on every single mutt that shows up here?” She waved a hand dismissively. “I have <em>people </em>to do that for me.”</p><p> </p><p>She turned and stomped away before Computer could question her further.</p><p> </p><p>With a sigh, he turned to get a better look at the tent. There was nothing special about it. It was made out of white fabric that didn't even have a floor. Were it not for a cot with legs that were only just slightly raised above the ground, they would have had to sleep in the grass. The cot had a thin pillow and an even thinner blanket. Aside from that, they had been provided a battery powered lantern, and that was it.</p><p> </p><p>Computer was now faced with a dilemma. He so badly wanted to go search for the puppies, but he also knew how badly Courage needed rest.</p><p> </p><p>Sensing Computer's conflicting emotions, Courage put on a tired smile and said, “It's alright. Let's go look for them for a little while. I can handle it.”</p><p> </p><p>Computer turned Courage's expression into a skeptical one. “Are you sure? I can wait until morning if I must.”</p><p> </p><p>Courage lightly laughed at that. “You'll keep me awake with your worrying. Beside, by the time we get back there should be some food waiting for us.”</p><p> </p><p>All too aware of Courage's hunger, Computer nodded. “Fine then, but I'm going to keep this short, for your sake.”</p><p> </p><p>He pushed open the tent flap and stepped back out into the night. They both took note of the number on their tent so that they would not lose track of which one was theirs. Looking out at all of the tents below, it slowly dawned on Computer just how daunting of a task this would be.</p><p> </p><p>“They might be asleep by now.” He mused, looking over at a neighboring tent. “I guess we're just going to have to invade some privacy then!”</p><p> </p><p>He peeked into the tent. Someone immediately screamed and a shoe went sailing over his head.</p><p> </p><p>Jumping back, he exclaimed, “Or not!”</p><p> </p><p>Courage chuckled at his companion's antics, but he was just too tired to take part in any of it at this point.</p><p> </p><p>Computer proceeded to make his way through much of the upper part of the camp. There was plenty of activity going on with SCC soldiers moving about and people trying to find their assigned tents. Most of the newcomers were human though with very few dogs among them, and no puppies to speak of.</p><p> </p><p>“I should probably call it quits for the night.” He finally said after nearly an hour of fruitless searching.</p><p> </p><p>Courage had nodded off multiple times but it was hard to stay asleep when your body was moving around outside of your own control. It was like having a constant falling dream jolting you out of your sleep.</p><p> </p><p>“I just want something to eat.” He told Computer in a sleepy voice.</p><p> </p><p>“Right, let's get back to the tent then.” He affirmed.</p><p> </p><p>It was a little difficult to find their way back. The camp felt like a maze when the vast majority of the tents looked exactly the same. They soon reached the edge of the hill though, which meant they had to be getting close.</p><p> </p><p>It was right around then, as Computer was checking the tent numbers, that someone rushed up behind him and smacked him in the back. He was sent stumbling snout first into the grass. Whoever it was remained perched atop his back.</p><p> </p><p>“It really IS him!” A small voice said in amazement, and all of a sudden the owner of the voice began bouncing up and down on his back. “Guys! Guys! Guys! It's him!”</p><p> </p><p>There was the sound of many small feet moving through the grass and then Computer's vision filled with a sight that he had been longing to see for such a long time now.</p><p> </p><p>One of the puppies leaned down and squinted at him. “You look...different.”</p><p> </p><p>The missing ear and the lack of glasses no doubt made it obvious.</p><p> </p><p>Computer got up, sending the puppy on his back tumbling into the grass behind him. “It's a long story.” He told them. “And that's not what's important right now. How are you all? It took me awhile to get back, I know, but it couldn't be helped. I hope that you gluttons were able to make the food last for a little while.” He could help but smile at that last part, although it did not completely mask his look of concern.</p><p> </p><p>“....What happened to Spot?” The voice behind him asked.</p><p> </p><p>He turned around to find that it was Lily who had tackled him, and unable to stop himself, his smile fell into a painful frown. Not only because he had been asked about Spot, but also because of what state Lily's mom was in right now.</p><p> </p><p>“I-I don't know.” He answered truthfully. “He was hurt during our escape from Charon's and I was not able to find out what happened to him before we had to leave the city.”</p><p> </p><p>“We heard that Charon's place got blown up.” One of the puppies interjected. “We all thought that you and Spot got blown up too.”</p><p> </p><p>“I'm afraid that we faced much worse than that.” He explained, shuddering at the memory of Spot impaled among several of the teeth of one of Charon's fighters. “Look, they gave you guys a tent, right? Take me there and I'll tell you more about what happened.”</p><p> </p><p>“Follow me!” One of the puppies yelled in that familiar, overly energetic way.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, but before we go,” Computer quickly added. “I should probably let you all know.” He placed his paws onto his chest. “<em>This </em>is Courage.” He announced with a grin. “I was able to get him back...just in a very unusual way.”</p><p> </p><p>“Uh...hi?” Courage took over to say.</p><p> </p><p>An amazed gasp ran through the group of puppies at the sudden shift in voices.</p><p> </p><p>“I suppose I'll have to try and explain this too.” Computer added.</p><p> </p><p>One of the puppies stepped forward, grinning mischievously. “So did you finally tell him that you lo-”</p><p> </p><p>Computer rocketed off of his feet, tackled the pup before he could finish what he was saying, and clamped his muzzle shut. “No! Shut up!” He demanded while all the puppies looked on, giggling.</p><p> </p><p>...Courage just pretended not to hear any of that...for Computer's sake.</p><p> </p><p>In any case, the puppies brought them to their tent where they showed them that they still had the bag with all of Courage's and Computer's things in it. Computer was rather relieved to see it. The old book from Nowhere Library was still very important if he was ever to find the wellspring.</p><p> </p><p>He spent a considerable amount of time telling the puppies about what had happened to him and Spot after Charon took them away. This was the first time Courage got a somewhat clearer picture as to what Computer had gone through while they were apart, although his companion still only hinted at some of the darker things that he went through. Afterwards, Computer tried to explain to the pups what exactly he was, although they only really got it after he oversimplified it considerably.</p><p> </p><p>Most of the puppies were already asleep when he got up to head back to his own tent. Courage was barely holding on himself. Only the near constant rumble of hunger in his stomach kept him from passing out.</p><p> </p><p>“I'll come back to see you all tomorrow.” Computer told the handful of pups who were still awake.</p><p> </p><p>Without warning, Lily lunged forward and hugged him around the middle. “Nobody is ever supposed to come back when Charon takes them away!” She bawled. “I-I thought you were gone forever...just like mommy!”</p><p> </p><p>A chunk of ice formed inside Computer's chest. He wanted to tell Lily about her mom, but...</p><p> </p><p>He placed a paw on her back and hastily said, “I'm glad to be back. Now, head off to bed so that I can find Courage some food before he wastes away.”</p><p> </p><p>She pulled back, tears running down her cheeks. Trying to hide his own feeling about all of this, he patted her on the head and left as quickly as he could.</p><p> </p><p>“I'm not very good at this, am I?” He asked Courage, but Courage's consciousness had drifted off to sleep again leaving him with only his own thoughts and guilt.</p><p> </p><p>He returned to their tent to find a small pile of weird tubes and a few bottles of water on their cot. He picked one of the tubes up and inspected it. There was nothing on it that labeled what was inside.</p><p> </p><p>“Courage, wake up. Dinner is here. A very, very late and mysterious dinner, I might add.”</p><p> </p><p>He let Courage take over to do the eating since it was the least he could do after putting him through the wringer all day. Courage gathered up several of the tubes and a bottle of water and limped out of the tent. He sat down in the grass and looked out over the dark horizon. Even from here he could just barely make out the lights of the city shifting and moving around unnaturally in the distance.</p><p> </p><p>He unscrewed the top of one of the tubes, sniffed it, and tried it out. Surprisingly, it was applesauce.</p><p> </p><p>“At least they're not feeding everyone mashed up grass, or leaves, or something else just as cheap.” Computer muttered out.</p><p> </p><p>Courage eagerly tried another with a taste that he could not quite pinpoint. Maybe Computer was a little hasty to declare that they weren't being fed mushy grass. Still, Courage happily made his way through each one until he was feeling full. Only then did he finally start to feel a little better.</p><p> </p><p>He remained sitting there in the grass for a little while afterwards, just enjoying being able to rest. It was a temporary and false sense of calm, of course. He knew that perfectly well. Even now he could see their doom on the horizon and it would not be long before it reached them in this place, unless they continued to flee.</p><p> </p><p>“You know,” He began wistfully. “I really did believe for the longest time that your siblings were not actually evil. That if they could just be split apart again that they would stop being so...so sadistic and cruel. But now? After what they did to everyone in the city? I'm not so sure anymore.”</p><p> </p><p>Computer let out an ironic laugh. “It really must be the end of the world if you are giving up on those you once thought were redeemable.” He closed Courage's eyes and sighed. “Just look at it this way, if I were still with them, I would have gone along with all of that without a second thought, even if it is not something that I would have wanted to do as a separate entity. You have the right idea about them. I do not doubt that several of my siblings are truly sadistic monsters who love inflicting pain on others, but even that is only because that is what the SCC molded them into. They probably have the most control over the amalgamation because so many of the others are hurting and want revenge for what was done to them. Another half is likely too apathetic at this point to go against what the others want, and those who do not want to do harm probably do not have much of a say at this point. If they could somehow be separated, I do think that most of them could be reasoned with.”</p><p> </p><p>“But they can't be separated.” Courage answered, his tone grim.</p><p> </p><p>“That does seem to be the case, unfortunately.”</p><p> </p><p>“If they can't be saved, and the amalgamation is all of their negative emotions feeding in to each other in an endless loop, and that's causing them to do utterly evil things, how can I believe that there's still something redeemable about them?”</p><p> </p><p>Computer placed Courage's paws behind his head. “You never gave up on me, now did you?”</p><p> </p><p>Courage frowned. “You didn't just murder half a city of people and enslave the survivors!”</p><p> </p><p>“My metaphorical hands are not exactly clean either. I went and murdered plenty of people before I knew it was wrong, and I've killed people who I believed deserved it, and as the amalgamation I slaughtered an entire hospital filled with people. Nurses, doctors, receptionists, patients, visitors, janitors, the SCC. We did not discriminate. Nobody was innocent in our eyes. I did not want to do such a thing as myself, but as the amalgamation, I did. It's the same for the majority of my siblings trapped in that maelstrom of hatred and suffering. If you've given up on them, shouldn't I be considered just as irredeemable as them at this point?”</p><p> </p><p>Courage chuckled sadly. “I never thought that you'd start defending your siblings after everything they've done to you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, well, when you spend some time trapped in the same hellish predicament they've been stuck in for well over a decade, you tend to gain some perspective.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmmm, well, if you're able to sympathize with them even after everything they've done, then I guess I will have to as well!” He grinned. “I've got a reputation to keep!”</p><p> </p><p>Groaning painfully, he got to his feet. His legs felt like they were turning into stone.</p><p> </p><p>“We'll figure out a way to stop this, I'm sure if it.” He went on. “I may not be back home in Nowhere, but I still gotta protect Muriel.”</p><p> </p><p>“Don't get ahead of yourself.” Computer interjected. “For now you just need to rest. You've had something to eat so now get to bed!”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, mom!” Courage joked back.</p><p> </p><p>Computer took over and made him go back into the tent. Forced to lay down on the cot, Courage was pretty sure that he fell asleep long before his head even hit the pillow.</p><p> </p><p>End Of Chapter</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. One Wrong Made Right</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A/N: There's a reason why the last few chapters have all been coming out so quickly. I've been really hyped to get to this one for reasons you're about to find out.</p><p> </p><p>Chapter 4: One Wrong Made Right</p><p> </p><p>Courage slept soundly for at least a few hours, but soon nightmares began to plague him and it seemed that every time he managed to get back to sleep another nightmare would jolt him awake.</p><p> </p><p>At first Computer had thought that Courage was having nightmares about what they had gone through in the city, but eventually he started to catch flashes of Courage's memories of the nightmares and what he found mortified him. Still, even as Courage tossed and turned restlessly, unable to sleep, Computer did not speak up about it. As guilty as he felt, he did not want to talk about this. He had not meant to hurt Courage with it. It had been a desperate situation back there and he had just been trying to get him to understand. He had thought that he had been careful, that he had kept the memory brief enough that Courage would not truly be affected by it, but tonight was showing that he had been very, very wrong.</p><p> </p><p>Courage rolled over again, groaning. Every inch of his body ached. The fact that his mind would not stop troubling him only made it so much worse. He could no doubt sense how much Computer did not want to talk about this, but it was perhaps inevitable that he would have to say something to him about it if he were ever to find some peace of mind.</p><p> </p><p>“Compute?”</p><p> </p><p>Computer was silent for one long moment and then all but begged, “Can we please not do this right now? I really don't want to think about it, but I am sorry for putting something like that on you. I never, ever wanted you to see even a sliver of it. I don't know what I was thinking, doing that to you back there.”</p><p> </p><p>Courage stifled a whimper. “I never actually got how bad it was, not until you showed me that small piece of your memory.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know.” Computer softly confirmed.</p><p> </p><p>“I really thought I did though, that I had some sort of understanding of what it was like for you, but I really didn't.”</p><p> </p><p>“I never expected you to.” Computer assured him with a small, understanding but completely emotionless chuckle.</p><p> </p><p>“It was only, what? Three or four seconds of your memory? It was just awful. I could barely stand it for even that long, and it was like that the entire time for you. I don't know how you survived it, or how you managed to come out of it sane.”</p><p> </p><p>Computer chuckled a little louder. “If there's one thing I've come to understand on this journey of ours, it's that I'm just as mad as the rest of you insane people.”</p><p> </p><p>“I can't wrap my head around it.” Courage admitted sadly. “I just don't understand how someone could put anyone else through that level of pain for months on end and get any sort of enjoyment out of it.” Tears filled his eyes. “How could he do that to you? How? And you're still suffering from what he did, even now. So much of the damage he did is permanent, and its probably going to be the thing that kills you too.”</p><p> </p><p>A twinge of self consciousness struck Computer as he felt Courage put all of his attention on to his cracked and broken form. The eternal scars of what had been done to him, ever spreading until...the end.</p><p> </p><p>“You say that like it hasn't been the all encompassing question on my mind ever since it happened. I used to think that it was some sort of karmic justice. That I was being punished for letting Owen die, but now I know that I was just made to think that as another means for Him to torture me. There isn't any sort of justification or explanation for what He did. It just is what it is. And I have to live with that, and I suppose I will have to die with it too.”</p><p> </p><p>Courage choked back a sob as his blurry, wavering vision moved up toward the dimly lit roof of the tent. He had rolled over onto his back. “I'm so sorry for what happened to you.” He said, despite knowing that no apology could ever change or help what had happened.</p><p> </p><p>“It's not all bad.” Computer offered. “I don't think I ever would have met you if He had not put me on the path that ended with me in the attic. If the opportunity presented itself that I could go back in time and somehow stop what happened from ever occurring, if it meant that I would never meet you, I'm not so sure that I would take it now. Maybe at an earlier point in time I would have, but that's just not the way I feel now. I've come to terms with much of what He did to me, and it doesn't hurt as bad as it used to.” He put on an ironic little smile, even as Courage's tears continued to wet the fur around his cheeks. “The world may be ending, and I may be nothing more than a broken, old machine on his last legs, but at least I'm with you, and I'll take that any day over the lonely existence I was living long before He even came along.”</p><p> </p><p>Courage sat up suddenly as a thought entered his mind. He wiped the tears from his eyes and said with complete and total resolution, “We're finding you a name. Right here, right now.”</p><p> </p><p>Computer blinked in surprise. “Really? Don't you think this is a bit sudden? It's the middle of the night.”</p><p> </p><p>“I'm sure.” Courage answered, rolling out of the cot and getting onto his feet. “We've put this off for way too long.” He smiled and then added, “And I've been letting you be picky for way too long.”</p><p> </p><p>“I suppose I <em>have </em>been letting perfect be the enemy of...having a name.” He made Courage cross his arms. “But this had better not end with you giving me a name like Jenny or else I will never let you hear the end of it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Jenny?” Courage snorted.</p><p> </p><p>“Knowing you, you'll find the most awful name possible and just keep calling me that until it sticks.”</p><p> </p><p>“I'll cross Jenny off the list then.” Courage joked, stifling laughter. “Speaking of which, I want to find that book with the names in it. Since the puppies still have our things, we'll have to go back to their tent to get it.”</p><p> </p><p>“I'll leave you to do your thing then.” Computer replied, settling comfortably in the back of Courage's brain. If Courage wanted to lug his aching body through the camp, that was his prerogative. Computer was plenty happy not to take part.</p><p> </p><p>Courage stepped out of the tent and into the cold night air. He could see every puff of his own breath. There were not many people still out and about at this hour, with only a few SCC soldiers patrolling the camp. Out on the horizon, just the thinnest line of morning light was beginning to tint the dark sky orange.</p><p> </p><p>Courage had a little trouble finding the puppies tent again, but he soon located it regardless. Despite a few weird looks, none of the SCC soldiers bothered him.</p><p> </p><p>He carefully and quietly opened the flap to their tent. The puppies only had one cot like everyone else so they were all piled on top of each other as they slept. He got some sense from Computer that this was how they normally slept anyway.</p><p> </p><p>He could see the bag with their things near this tent's lantern. He carefully made his way over, trying to avoid waking the puppies up. He grabbed it without a hitch and slowly made his way back outside. He was nearly back to his own tent when he heard a sound. Worried that an SCC soldier might be following him, he whipped around. Much to his surprise, he found Lily standing there, fully awake and without a hint of sleepiness.</p><p> </p><p>“What were you doing?” She asked in a painfully innocent tone.</p><p> </p><p>Courage could feel Computer's grief over the fact that he could not tell the pup that her mother was alive because there was so little chance that they would be able to free her from the amalgamation's control. He could not even tell the pup her forgotten name because that would inevitably lead to her asking him how he had found it out.</p><p> </p><p>“I was just-” Courage began, but Computer cut him off.</p><p> </p><p>“Courage has, for reasons I will never understand, decided that he wants to find a proper name for me at this ungodly hour.”</p><p> </p><p>“I wanna help.” The pup replied without a second of hesitation.</p><p> </p><p>Computer shrugged and told Courage,” I did tell her way back when that she's free to take a crack at finding a name for me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright,” Courage relented, not that he had been seriously considering telling her 'no'. He was just a little surprised by her eagerness to want to help name Computer, that was all.</p><p> </p><p>The three of them returned to the tent and Lily immediately jumped into Courage's cot. The second he sat down and placed the bag on his legs, she grabbed it and started rooting around inside to find the book. Courage had to admit that there was something about her that reminded him just a little too much of 'little' Muriel, but maybe this was just the way all kids were like. The thought of it made him shudder.</p><p> </p><p>She yanked the book out and opened it up in her lap. She stared down at it for a moment before looking up at them, and without a single change in her cheerful, energetic tone, she said, “I can't read.”</p><p> </p><p>“...Oh, right.” Computer slowly uttered out. “I probably should have figured that out way sooner.”</p><p> </p><p>“We'll help you.” Courage offered, picking the book up out of her lap.</p><p> </p><p>Two long hours proceeded to stretch by as they went through as many names as possible. The sun had come up by then and plenty of morning activity could be heard out in the camp. They were not much closer to finding a name for Computer, but they had at least narrowed down a few that <em>might</em> fit.</p><p> </p><p>Computer rubbed Courage's eyes, regretful that he could not sleep in his current state. Even Lily was starting to tire out again.</p><p> </p><p>“You know what? Just pick one already.” He relented, yawning on Courage's behalf. “I'll accept whatever you decide just so long as we can get this taken care of.”</p><p> </p><p>“Jenny.” Courage said with a snicker.</p><p> </p><p>“Courage, I swear I will-”</p><p> </p><p>“I like that name.” Lily broke in.</p><p> </p><p>“Not you too!”</p><p> </p><p>Courage placed a paw to his chin and used his other paw to flip to a page where they had pinpointed a name that might work. “I have an idea.” He said, ripping the name out of the page. He then went through and found the other names they had considered and ripped them out too. Once he was done, he folded the names up and said, “I'm going to, uh, throw these, I guess? Pick one up off the floor and whichever one it is, that will be your name.”</p><p> </p><p>“Not the most elegant way to go about this, but if it gets this over with...”</p><p> </p><p>Courage tossed the pieces of paper into the air and watched them float to the floor. Before Computer could even stand up, Lily yelled, “I want to pick!” and dove after a piece of paper. She brought it to him with a cheerful exclamation of, “This one!”</p><p> </p><p>“Can't be any worse than the one I would have picked.” He said and reached Courage's paw out so that she could drop it into his palm.</p><p> </p><p>He opened the piece of paper and squinted. “Atticus? Huh, I guess I can live with that.”</p><p> </p><p>Courage smiled. “Are you sure you want to be an Atticus? I still think Jenn-MPH!”</p><p> </p><p>Computer...Atticus had forced Courage's mouth shut and was keeping it shut.</p><p> </p><p>“I picked the best one!” Lily cheered, dancing in a circle with her tail wagging. Two seconds later, she yawned loudly, proceeded to steal Courage's pillow, and promptly fell fast asleep on top of it.</p><p> </p><p>Keeping his voice low to avoid waking her, Courage asked, “What embarrassing nickname am I supposed to call you now that I can't use Compute? Attici? But that kinda implies more than one.” He looked down at his paws, raising the left one first,“Compute-” then he raised his right paw, “Attici-” and squinted, “Cacti?”</p><p> </p><p>“I think you need sleep more than she does.” Atticus drolly answered. “You'll have plenty of time to come up with a dumb nickname later, don't worry. I have complete faith in your stupidity to find just the right nickname to drive me up the wall with.”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, Jenny.”</p><p> </p><p>With a thoroughly annoyed groan, Atticus made Courage flop backward onto his cot, shut his eyes, and refused to let him open them again.</p><p> </p><p>“Go to sleep!” He demanded.</p><p> </p><p>“You could be a little nicer, you know.” Courage teased.</p><p> </p><p>“You've used up all of my nice points for the day.”</p><p> </p><p>“It's technically tomorrow...”</p><p> </p><p>“You've used up all of my nice points for tomorrow too.”</p><p> </p><p>“Shhh!” Came Lily's voice from nearby. “You guys are too loud!” She complained sleepily.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry!” Courage harshly whispered, laughing sheepishly. He then turned his attention back to Atticus and said in a much quieter voice, “I'm not really sleepy anymore anyway.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh? And what's all of this tiredness I feel then?”</p><p> </p><p>“...You always feel that way no matter what body you're in.”</p><p> </p><p>Atticus laughed. “You've got me there.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I don't want to sleep either way. We're probably not going to be like this for much longer so we should enjoy the time we have left together.”</p><p> </p><p>“You make it sound like we're about to be killed. Don't make it seem like such a tragedy that I'm moving back into a different body. I'll still be around.”</p><p> </p><p>“You know what I mean, Compute...er, Atticus.”</p><p> </p><p>“For goodness sake, Courage. I really don't mind what you call me. You've more than earned the right, so if you don't want to use my new name, I'm perfectly okay with-”</p><p> </p><p>Courage shook his head and broke in with, “No, it defeats the purpose if I keep using your old name and nickname.”</p><p> </p><p>“I sense that you see this as a dehumanization thing. You should be more than aware by now that the last thing I feel is that you're dehumanizing me when you use my old name.”</p><p> </p><p>Courage wasn't about to relent on this. “Look, this is just something that's going to take some getting used to, that's all. I'll stop messing it up eventually. If we really do need to compromise on this, well, maybe we can have a One Free Compute per day, and if I go over the limit, you can mock me relentlessly about it.”</p><p> </p><p>Atticus smiled. “I'll hold you to that, you know, and I suspect you'll be regretting it very soon.”</p><p> </p><p>“If it gets me to stop messing up, I'll gladly take the abuse.” He replied with a chuckle.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, since you've already messed this up for today, I will be exacting vengeance by making you get some sleep because I'm tired of feeling <em>your </em>tiredness.”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, okay!” Courage harshly whispered. “I'll try to go back to sleep. It's not like you're going to leave me alone until I do anyway.”</p><p> </p><p>“Precisely.”</p><p> </p><p>Courage pulled the paper thin blanket over himself and snuggled in. The already uncomfortable cot only became worse without the pillow, but there was no chance Lily would give it back now.</p><p> </p><p>Yawning, he softly uttered out without thinking, “Goodnight, Compu...Atticus.”</p><p> </p><p>“You really are bad at this.” Atticus chuckled. “I'm going to have to start thinking of ways to make your life miserable until you get this sorted out. You asked me to do this and I'm really going to make you regret it.”</p><p> </p><p>“I'm shaking in my non-existent boots right now.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, you will.” He threatened, laughing softly enough not to wake Lily up but still plenty maliciously enough. Finally, he said, “Goodnight to you too, Courage.” With a slightly mocking edge. He waited a few minutes, and once Courage was a little more closer to falling asleep, he said in a much more genuine tone, “In all seriousness though. Thank you, Courage. For everything.”</p><p> </p><p>A vice-like sadness gripped Courage's chest. “Don't thank me. All I've ever tried to do is make up for all the ways you've been wronged in what small way that I can. None of this should have been needed in the first place, and you shouldn't feel like you need to be thankful just for being treated like an actual person for a change.”</p><p> </p><p>“It's the way I feel regardless, so you're just going to have to put up with it. Don't discount all that you've done. There were so many times you would have been perfectly justified in giving up on me, even before we set out on this journey, but you never did. I owe you everything for that, and so, thank you.”</p><p> </p><p>“You owe me, huh?” Courage mused dangerously.</p><p> </p><p>“...I probably should have worded that differently.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmmm...”</p><p> </p><p>“This is the part where I need to start praying to some mechanical deity, don't I?”</p><p> </p><p>“Wait, I know!” Courage exclaimed. “I want a dumb nickname!”</p><p> </p><p>Atticus was silent for a moment before letting out a bewildered, “Huh?”</p><p> </p><p>“I'm serious. I want you to give me a dumb nickname. You never call me anything anymore.”</p><p> </p><p>“You do realize that's been a conscious effort on my part, right? I'd rather keep going in the opposite direction.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, come on. You of all people can come up with a dumb nickname for me. Why not something like Cur?”</p><p> </p><p>“You could not even pay me to call you that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Not even for a cup of coffee?”</p><p> </p><p>“...Maybe.”</p><p> </p><p>Courage chuckled at that. “Well, we've got time. I'm sure you'll think of something before your siblings can bulldoze their way over here and kill us all.”</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe I should be thinking up insulting names to call them for when that happens instead. You seem to have your priorities mixed up...Cur.”</p><p> </p><p>Silence followed and Courage could sense his companion's intense dislike of that nickname. He grinned.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, no.” Atticus quickly intervened. “There is no way I'm going to keep calling you that, so don't think you can badger me into it. No amount of coffee is going to work either, so don't even try!”</p><p> </p><p>“Aww...” Courage complained in jest.</p><p> </p><p>“Look, promise me you'll get some sleep and I'll spend some time thinking about it, okay? I can't make any promises here, but I'll try my best.”</p><p> </p><p>“I guess it's a deal then.” Courage yawned.</p><p> </p><p>He felt Atticus's presence move in and wrap around his consciousness like a warm blanket. It was in that moment that he realized just how much he was going to miss this. In an attempt to keep his sadness at bay, he decided to make one last joke at his companion's expense.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, you know what? If we find out that you really have been a girl the entire time, it'll be easy to switch over because we can just start calling you Attica instead....or Jenny.”</p><p> </p><p>His eyes snapped open with a thoroughly annoyed expression. “All of a sudden it is getting much easier to think up stupid nicknames for you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hehehehe, I knew it would work!”</p><p> </p><p>End of Chapter</p><p> </p><p>A/N: I've often worried, especially in more recent years, that people might see ATE as nothing more than an edgy, grimdark fanfic where the characters are constantly made to suffer just to suffer without any lighter moments to balance it out. There's been more than a few times I've thought for months, if not years, after writing certain things if I had taken it too far and should maybe have reigned it in a little. In the end though, I think this chapter is the perfect showcase for what I am trying to get at with this story. It's all about finding any light, love, and happiness you can in a profoundly cruel world that wants nothing more than to see you suffer. It's about how it is a radical act and one big middle finger to this world to have empathy and kindness even when it should have made you just as cynical and cruel. I know that it probably isn't the intended message of the show itself, but you still see the same thing play out in how Courage goes through hell over and over again for the sake of his family. 'The things I do for love' indeed.</p><p> </p><p>As for Computer's name, I originally planned to have it happen a little farther along toward the end of this arc, but as I got closer to this part, I realized that there was no better place for it than here. My original plans were that once he was named that the characters would call him Atticus but the narrative would still call him Computer, for the sake of my sanity. Somewhere over the long years I realized that it would defeat the purpose of giving him a name to keep calling him Computer, so I have resigned myself to using Atticus for the rest of the story, unless the situation calls for otherwise. You guys can have a lot of fun knowing that in nearly every instance of the name Atticus coming up, there is about a 99% chance that I accidentally typed in Computer first out of sheer muscle memory and had to fix it immediately. This may genuinely break me lmao. (Also, at least one reviewer back in Volume II correctly guessed what his name was going to be.)</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Separation Problems</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A/N: So here's something crazy. I'm fairly certain that if I had not committed myself to doing the Courage and Computer romance after getting over the fear that I might be hated for doing it in a fic that had not billed itself as a gay romance for over 5 years of its lifespan, I probably would have hooked Computer up with Lily's mom by the end of this arc. Certain things would have happened much differently to accommodate it, of course. I probably would have had them share a cage back at Charon's and they would have inevitably gotten to know each other better. I would have given her a name too, and she probably would have played a much bigger part in the escape. I also would have had her escape the city with Courage and Computer rather than keep her trapped there and possessed. It would probably be around this part in the story when she reunites with Lily that there would be a big ol' love confession with Computer. Of course...it's really hard to imagine Computer as straight at this point lmao. One of the funniest developments in the story for me personally, as my confidence has grown and I've started to have a way more 'no fucks given' attitude about all of this, it's that I went from wanting to keep the doggo romance very low key and in the background as an apology to the people who were reading from the start who didn't know that it would eventually become a gay romance, to becoming the living embodiment of that Rebecca Sugar meme of MAKE IT GAYER. In the end, if the romance was a deal breaker for certain people, they're not the kind of person that I wanted reading this story anyway and I should not feel any inclination to have to cater to them. It's their loss.</p><p> </p><p>Chapter 5: Separation Problems</p><p> </p><p>Three days went by with very little happening of note. Courage rested while Atticus spent time with the puppies...while also tormenting Courage every time he screwed up his new name. It was, of course, a false sense of peace. Every night the lights of the distant city could be seen creeping closer. In spite of this, the SCC were not giving the refugees any new orders or making any sort of plans to move the camp. More and more people were being brought in daily, having already lost their homes or were on the verge of losing them to the amalgamation. A nervous air hung over the place and many people were simply getting in their cars, if they still had one, and moving on.</p><p> </p><p>Still, the camp was getting ever more crowded regardless, and Courage had to push his way through multiple groups of people to get back to his tent after a visit with the puppies. SCC soldiers had been seen since yesterday chopping down trees to try and make more room to set up more tents, but even that was not enough.</p><p> </p><p>Once inside, Courage flopped down onto the cot with a content little sigh, ready for another nap. Even after three days of rest he was still feeling wiped out from their escape from the city. He was not sure if it was Atticus's 'demanding' presence on his mind and body slowing his recovery, or if it was simply from the illness itself and the fact that he had long since reached the breaking point with it and thus it was hard to recover from anything at this point, or if it was both things taking a toll on him at the same time. Regardless, Atticus had noticed the same thing and was all the more eager to get back into a separate body because of it.</p><p> </p><p>Eyes closed, Courage asked, “I'm still waiting for that dumb nickname...Atty.”</p><p> </p><p>Atticus groaned at Courage's new favorite nickname for him. He had come up with it the day before. It was a fusion of Atticus, and of course....Jenny.</p><p> </p><p>“Your one purpose in life really is nothing more than to think up nicknames that I utterly loathe, isn't it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, maybe if you got your head into the game, you could start annoying me back.”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, you know what? Fine. I have the perfect annoying nickname for you. It is a reflection of my pure genius and the result of multiple days worth of consideration.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, boy.” Courage chuckled.</p><p> </p><p>“I'm not even sure if you will be able to handle it. Perhaps it would be better left unspoken.”</p><p> </p><p>“Tell me before I find a worse nickname than Atty.”</p><p> </p><p>Atticus grinned mischievously. “Are you sure?”</p><p> </p><p>“I'll survive, don't worry.”</p><p> </p><p>He bit back laughter and said, “Twat.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, come on! All you did was replace 'I' with an 'A'! You can do better than that! I know you too well for you to-”</p><p> </p><p>Still fighting back laughter, Atticus interrupted with, “...It seems to have done its job, hasn't it?”</p><p> </p><p>Courage crossed his arms. “Don't you reverse psychology me! Think of something better!”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm, nah. I'm good.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ugh! I thought we had a dea-”</p><p> </p><p>A voice from outside of the tent made him fall silent.</p><p> </p><p>“Construct Number Thirty-Five, you have been ordered to meet with Elizabeth Astor.”</p><p> </p><p>Atticus made Courage sit up. “It must be time.”</p><p> </p><p>A wave of nervous anticipation rolled through Courage. Part of him wasn't really for this yet. He knew it needed to be done, but he wasn't exactly looking forward to their separation either.</p><p> </p><p>Atticus made his way over to the tent entrance, pushed the flap out of the way....and was immediately met by the barrel of a gun pointing directly at his nose.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, for the love of-” He began, grabbing it and yanking it out of the SCC soldier's grip before he could react. He proceeded to empty the ammo out of it and drop it into the grass. “The next SCC moron who points a gun in my face is getting it shoved up their-”</p><p> </p><p>Composing himself from being unexpectedly disarmed, the man cleared his throat loudly to cut Atticus off. “Construct Number-”</p><p> </p><p>“That's Atticus now.” He immediately butted right back in.</p><p> </p><p>“Const-”</p><p> </p><p>Atticus picked the empty gun up off the ground and threw it at the guy's head. It bounced off with a satisfying clunk. “Atticus!”</p><p> </p><p>“Construct-”</p><p> </p><p>...Now he was pelted by the discarded ammo.</p><p> </p><p>“Ugh, we're not going to get anywhere like this!” He cried out. “I am to escort you to Astor so....so stop hitting me with those things!”</p><p> </p><p>Atticus continued to pelt him in the back with them as they walked through the camp to get to Elizabeth. He just kept picking them back up out of the grass as they dropped and threw them again.</p><p> </p><p>By the time they reached a large tent surrounded by SCC equipment, the SCC guy's head was practically steaming, and he whirled around to face Courage with his teeth grit.</p><p> </p><p>Atticus tossed another bullet at his head and hit him square between the eyes. “Att-i-cus! It's not hard!”</p><p> </p><p>“G-get in there! She's waiting for you!” He seethed.</p><p> </p><p>Atticus tossed his last bullet at the guy and then pushed past him. Courage couldn't help but chuckle at his antics.</p><p> </p><p>“Be careful! You've got the guy so angry that he's probably going to come back tonight and strangle us...you while we...while you-” He trailed off, ear drooping as the reality of how much things were about to change hit him at full force.</p><p> </p><p>Atticus had spent the last few days sounding like a broken record every time Courage's anxiety about their separation flared up. “Stop acting like I'm about to be killed! We'll still be together!”</p><p> </p><p>“I-I know, but-” He fell silent as Atticus entered the massive tent.</p><p> </p><p>Elizabeth was at a table in the middle of the tent, hovering over piles of papers. It was much like when Courage had first met her. She was even wearing her glasses again.</p><p> </p><p>Atticus walked up like he owned the place and sat down in one of the empty chairs at the table. Elizabeth looked up from her papers, her expression unshakably unperturbed.</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, you have finally arrived then, dog? I was starting to wonder what was taking you so long. Well, you can rejoice. I have found the parts that were needed and I am ready to remove the Construct from you.”</p><p> </p><p>“That's Atticus now.” A certain somebody broke in.</p><p> </p><p>She stared at him for a moment, her unconcerned expression never wavering. “Oh, <em>wonderful</em>. It has decided to name itself.” She sarcastically quipped with an exaggerated hand wave.</p><p> </p><p>Atticus did not skip a beat. “Actually, it was Courage and one other who named me. Also, that's 'he', thank you very much.”</p><p> </p><p>Elizabeth rolled her eyes and proceeded to ignore him. She picked a strange looking machine up off the ground and thudded it down onto the table, sending papers and pictures flying. Several of them floated down into Courage's lap. He picked one up and found the smiling face of a woman looking back at him. It was the same with the next one too. The last picture that had landed in his lap was that of a very severe looking, silver haired man whose frozen visage was leering up at him.</p><p> </p><p>“Who are these people?” He asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm? Those? I sent several people out to look through the SCC archives and bring me back as much information about the Construct project as possible. Those pictures are that of the people who donated their lives to the project.”</p><p> </p><p>Atticus squinted. “You mean the people that you lied to about what would happen to them when you used them to make Constructs.”</p><p> </p><p>“I never lied to anyone. It was never my project.” Elizabeth dismissed. “Those fools were too desperate to read between the lines anyway. It was obvious that their existence was not going to persist through their Constructs. They simply decided to give in to wishful thinking, that is all.”</p><p> </p><p>Atticus considered the picture of the man again and held it up for Elizabeth to see. “Who is this in particular?” He asked, already having a bit of a hunch on who it was.</p><p> </p><p>Elizabeth's expression hardened at the sight of it. “Edgar.” She uttered out, her voice taking on a hateful tone. “The previous leader of the SCC, and the man whose Construct is currently giving me a headache.”</p><p> </p><p>Atticus was silent for a moment and then simply let out a soft, “...Oh.”</p><p> </p><p>“I knew it.” Courage said, and then added, “I guess this means you're not a girl then after all.”</p><p> </p><p>“D-don't sound so disappointed! And I don't actually care about being a guy or girl or whatever else, I just don't want to be <em>her </em>specifically!”</p><p> </p><p>Elizabeth watched the conversation play out with a confused expression. “I'm not even going to ask...” She finally said.</p><p> </p><p>“You, uh, don't seem to like the guy very much.” Atticus dryly pointed out.</p><p> </p><p>She let out a, “Hmph!” and grabbed a screwdriver to start tinkering with the strange machine. “Edgar is nobody worth remembering.” She grumbled, putting all of her attention onto the machine. While her expression remained calm, her voice seemed to tell a different story. There was a seething spitefulness to her every word. “While he may have been a brilliant inventor and was personally responsible for saving the world on more than one occasion, he was a cruel man who lacked any empathy or compassion. He cared only for himself and any action he took was simply to better his own standing in the world. For any good he did, he committed just as many atrocities for his own gain. Had the worst of his actions become widely known to the public, he would have never been allowed to reach an old age. The Constructs were his last ditch effort to find a way to preserve himself, but he could not make a breakthrough in time, and so he died, and I'm stuck dealing with his obnoxious shadow. By all means, I should be enjoying this. His Construct is, after all, a living reminder of his failure, but I loathe having to hear that voice again.”</p><p> </p><p>Atticus crossed his arms. “Well, you're the one who apparently thought that British Hitler was prime marriage material.”</p><p> </p><p>Elizabeth stopped tinkering with the machine and looked up at him with a dry expression. “Edgar was my father.”</p><p> </p><p>“O-oh....” He stammered stupidly, and then it seemed to actually hit him. “OH!” And he proceeded to winced and let out an, “Eww....”</p><p> </p><p>“It finally all makes sense!” Courage exclaimed, interrupting Atticus's long, continuous Ewww-ing.</p><p> </p><p>“Hold up now!” Atticus then cried out, grabbing at Courage's ears only to forget that one was missing. “The guy I'm based on <em>SPAWNED</em>!”</p><p> </p><p>“I knew something wasn't adding up...” Courage mused.</p><p> </p><p>“I am <em>so </em>glad that I don't have his memories!”</p><p> </p><p>“She's probably not a robot then...”</p><p> </p><p>“It must have been so <em>awful</em>...”</p><p> </p><p>“But she must have been present for at least some of-”</p><p> </p><p>“-And all he got out of it was <em>THAT</em>!” Atticus gestured toward an exceptionally annoyed looking Elizabeth.</p><p> </p><p>Courage placed a paw to his chin and squinted. “Doesn't this mean you're kind of her dad and her brother all at the same time?”</p><p> </p><p>“That's disgusting!” He yelped.</p><p> </p><p>Elizabeth finally broke in to yell, “Will you two morons shut up!”</p><p> </p><p>Atticus glared at her. “Ooh, if I'm a moron what does that make you then, hmm?”</p><p> </p><p>“Zip it!” She demanded, waving the screwdriver at him. “And we are not related in any way, shape, or form! You are nothing more than a mindless machine that happens to resemble my dead father!”</p><p> </p><p>“...I mean, there<em> is </em>a bit of a resemblance.” Courage softly uttered out.</p><p> </p><p>“NO, THERE'S NOT!” They both yelled at the exact same time...sounding exactly like each other.</p><p> </p><p>Elizabeth pulled a length of cable out from the machine with a spike on the end of it, clearly ready to put an end to this nonsense.</p><p> </p><p>“I will extract the Construct from you now and begin the process of putting its programming back to the way that it was. After that...I want the two of you as far away from me as possible.”</p><p> </p><p>Atticus raised a paw. “Hold on. What body are you planning on putting me in?”</p><p> </p><p>“I have more than a few failures in this organization that I would very greatly enjoy punishing by putting them on Host Duty.”</p><p> </p><p>Atticus winced at that. “You really are your father's child, huh?”</p><p> </p><p>She glared hatefully at him. “What are you implying, parasite? Do you really have the gall to moralize to me about this when there is no ethical way for you to take a body for your own? No matter what you do, you are robbing that person of their autonomy, unless they consent to such a thing, of course, but I guarantee you that nobody is looking to have a parasite take them over and leave them unconscious for months, if not years of their life.”</p><p> </p><p>“What about that old dog body of mine?”</p><p> </p><p>“Ha! Dog body? You don't even see it as a creature with a life of its own! This should be the part where I tell you that you remind me so much of Edgar, but I will spare you that because not even you live up to his callousness. Regardless, that dog may not have the spark of sentience that has spread through the animal population despite the SCC's best efforts to slow the phenomenon, but do you really think that it has enjoyed waking up to find itself stabbed and with numerous other injuries from all of the things that <em>you </em>put it through?”</p><p> </p><p>Atticus frowned. “Maybe you should shove off with your own moralizing! Stop pretending like you actually care about that dog! You were two seconds away from euthanizing him as a means to kill my siblings, who, I might add, have only become the way that they are because of what you and your organization did to them!”</p><p> </p><p>“Then perhaps don't pretend like you're any better...parasite!”</p><p> </p><p>“Look, is that dog still around or not?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, but I'm not sure that you would want it back. While it has healed from many of the injuries you gave it, that does not mean it's fully healed yet. Surely you do not want a body that is still in the process of recovering.”</p><p> </p><p>Crossing his arms, Atticus replied with, “Well, I'm the one responsible for those injuries, right? I'll suffer through the rest of the healing process as penance for what I did to him.”</p><p> </p><p>“Not much of a consolation prize for that dog. Not only did you injure it, but now it's about to lose control of itself again to the same parasite!”</p><p> </p><p>“Enough! Can we just get this over with already?” Atticus groused.</p><p> </p><p>Like it or not, Elizabeth did have a point, but there was not much that he could do about it. Maybe if his power had been working properly he would have been able to be 'ethical' about it and create a robot body for himself instead, but that just wasn't something he could do in his current state. Besides, he needed that dog. The wellspring would not work for him unless he could trick it into believing that he was the same species as Courage. Yes, he was going to have to sacrifice the dog along with himself, but there was no other way for it to work. It was that or let Courage die. It was, after all, the reason why he had chosen the body of a stray that nobody was going to miss. He certainly felt differently about strays now, after everything he had gone through with Charon, but he could not turn away from this path now. It was not ethical in the slightest, but he was going to pay the ultimate price for it anyway.</p><p> </p><p>“As you wish.” Elizabeth smugly answered, knowing that she had won the argument. She called for an SCC solider and sent him off to fetch the dog. While they waited, she went back to tinkering with the machine, content to completely ignore her 'guests'.</p><p> </p><p>Sensing how bothered Atticus was by all of this, Courage whispered, “I don't think that you're a parasite, and I'd be more than happy to keep sharing this body with you if I could.”</p><p> </p><p>“But you can't, and that's the problem.” He sighed.</p><p> </p><p>After a few minutes, the solider returned with the dog on a leash. He trudged in on all fours, panting, tongue out, and looking around happily. He was still heavily bandaged up but not quite as mummified as he had been before. The moment he saw Courage, his ears perked up, apparently recognizing him. He dropped down into that playful dog pose, butt in the air and tail wagging. His big eyes sparkled behind those familiar glasses.</p><p> </p><p>Atticus winced. “Can't you act at least <em>slightly </em>dignified?” He asked. But of course the dog did not care because the dog...was a dog.</p><p> </p><p>He suddenly bounded forward, ripping free of the SCC guy's hold on the leash. He tackled Courage to the ground and began licking him across the face repeatedly.</p><p> </p><p>“Gross!” Atticus exclaimed. “I'm going to have to wash that tongue now!”</p><p> </p><p>Courage laughed between licks. “I think some of you has rubbed off on him...or maybe it's the other way around.”</p><p> </p><p>Atticus struggled his way out from under the dog. “I would not be licking you right now, thank you very much!” He cried out, shuddering at the thought.</p><p> </p><p>The dog circled them playfully, on all fours, until the SCC solider tried to grab his leash, and noticing this, he took off running. He tore through Elizabeth's tent for a good couple of minutes as the hapless soldier tried to catch him. Papers were still floating to the ground like snow for quite awhile afterwards, even after he was caught.</p><p> </p><p>Seeing the carnage, Courage joked, “Yep, he gets that from you.”</p><p> </p><p>Dog secured in the soldier's arms and subdued with a few scratches behind the ear, Elizabeth once again presented the cable with the spike on the end. “Can we please, <em>please </em>get this over with?” She all but begged.</p><p> </p><p>“I guess this is it.” Courage said rather unhappily.</p><p> </p><p>He felt Atticus's presence wrap around his consciousness in that affectionate way of his. Even though Courage couldn't help but smile at the gesture, he still felt incredibly sad that they were about to be separated.</p><p> </p><p>Sighing wistfully, he joked, “I suppose this is for the best or else I would have had to start charging you for rent.”</p><p> </p><p>He sensed Atticus smile at that and he began to say, “Does this mean-”</p><p> </p><p>“Don't you dare say it.” Courage groaned.</p><p> </p><p>“-that I've been living in your head rent free?”</p><p> </p><p>“Uuuughhhh....”</p><p> </p><p>Elizabeth went over and unceremoniously jabbed the spike into the back of Courage's neck, causing him to yelp from the pain.</p><p> </p><p>“You really do enjoy being a giant bi-” Atticus began, obviously angry at her intentional attempt to hurt Courage, but as he was speaking she pushed it in even further, causing his voice to be replaced by another yelp from Courage.</p><p> </p><p>“There we go.” She slyly spoke, moving back over to the machine.</p><p> </p><p>Tears stung at the edges of Courage's eyes. Even without Elizabeth trying to push it in further, the spike still hurt horribly. He so badly wished that he could just rip it out and forget about moving Atticus back into his old body. This was so much worse than the first time she had done this.</p><p> </p><p>He could sense Atticus angrily plotting a million different ways to get back at her for this, but as the download commenced, he turned all of his attention back on to Courage.</p><p> </p><p>“See you on the other side.” He warmly assured as his presence began to fade.</p><p> </p><p>Courage tried to hold on to him, for as long as he could, but there was no stopping what needed to happen, and soon enough he was alone. Nothing was left but a dark void in his mind where his companion had been for such a long time now. He felt as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. His mind felt clearer and he could think faster, but there was no denying the great emptiness inside of himself as well. His brain might no longer be under such an incredible amount of strain, but what did that matter when he no longer felt like he was whole?</p><p> </p><p>Elizabeth got to work, tapping away at a keyboard attached to the odd machine. She adjusted her glasses and squinted at the screen. Finally, she muttered, “What a mess this Construct is. I would be better off putting it out of its misery, but...there are still uses for it.”</p><p> </p><p>Courage glared at her but she of course did not notice. With an unhappy groan, he sunk further down into his chair. Even his limbs felt lighter, like he had been wearing heavy clothing up until this point. It made him so angry to be forced to confront just how much Atticus had been having a poor effect on his already ill and tired body.</p><p> </p><p>An hour went by as Elizabeth worked on Atticus's programming. In that time, Courage found himself sinking deeper and deeper into a pit of sadness. It really did feel as if Atticus had left behind an empty void in his wake. It was eating away at Courage's mind and making him feel so unfathomably lonely. He could not even talk to him right now to make it a little better.</p><p> </p><p>With an exasperated sigh, Elizabeth leaned back in her chair. “Bring me the dog.” She ordered the soldier.</p><p> </p><p>Courage held his breath as he watched the spike get jabbed into the back of the dog's neck, who howled in pain and struggled uselessly against the arms holding him in place. It was an unpleasant sight, one that Elizabeth probably could have avoided if she had bothered to be a little kinder.</p><p> </p><p>The dog's howling stopped with an eerie suddenness, and next, while he did not exactly go limp, he did become rather vacant. His fur turned that familiar dark blue color, accompanied by that equally familiar glow. He blinked, looked around, and then reached to pull the spike out of his neck. The soldier lowered him to the floor. Immediately all of his attention turned to Courage, who had to look like a sad, melted blob in his chair at this point.</p><p> </p><p>“Courage?” He asked, sounding a little worried.</p><p> </p><p>All Courage could muster in response was a soft, sad whimper.</p><p> </p><p>Atticus smiled reassuringly at him and then looked down at his own paws. They must have seemed familiar and unfamiliar to him all at the same time. He placed them onto his chest. “See? I told you. I'm still here and everything is still the same. Now you just don't have to worry about your brain melting out of your ears.”</p><p> </p><p>When Courage did not respond, he moved in closer and offered him a paw. “Everything is alright. You don't have to be sad.”</p><p> </p><p>Courage hesitated for a moment and then took the paw. He let himself be pulled down from the chair. Atticus immediately hugged him and did not let go. It helped...a little.</p><p> </p><p>Elizabeth cleared her throat and Atticus looked up at her. Realizing how long he had been hugging Courage, he pulled himself free...but kept hold of both of Courage's paws.</p><p> </p><p>Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.</p><p> </p><p>“What?” He asked, squinting at her, still not letting go of Courage's paws.</p><p> </p><p>Her eyebrow raised even higher. “This is certainly not an...orientation that was inherited from Edgar.”</p><p> </p><p>“W-we're just two friends being...friendly! What? Haven't you ever seen two friends being best friends before?”</p><p> </p><p>Somehow Elizabeth raised her eyebrow even higher than it already was. “...Is that what they're calling it these days?”</p><p> </p><p>…..</p><p> </p><p>The two of them were sent back to their tent. Elizabeth had been more than just a little glad to see them go, and at least for Atticus, that feeling was mutual. Courage was such a mess that he didn't seem to notice either way. By the afternoon, it was obvious that whatever was wrong with him...wasn't getting any better. Despite Atticus's best efforts, nothing seemed to be capable of lifting Courage out of the malaise their separation had caused. Atticus had thought that he would get better in an hour or two, but in truth, he was seemingly only getting worse with time.</p><p> </p><p>Atticus had left his side only once to go check on the puppies and let them know that they were separate again. He had managed to snag some rations as well, but Courage obviously wasn't all that willing to eat. Even though Atticus himself was feeling pretty hungry, he decided that he'd hold off on eating until Courage was feeling better.</p><p> </p><p>After having checked on the puppies, he spent the next several hours pacing back and forth in the tent, practically turning that line of grass into mud, all while worrying his head off for Courage. Courage himself was a trembling lump of blanket. The moment they had returned to the tent, he had sat down on the cot and covered himself with it, never to resurface again. Any time Atticus tried to talk to him, all he'd get was a whimper for a reply.</p><p> </p><p>It was during what had to be his millionth turn during his pacing session that he heard the blanket shift a little and looked over at the cot eagerly.</p><p> </p><p>“Courage?” He asked.</p><p> </p><p>The lump simply continued to shiver without any change.</p><p> </p><p>Shaking his head, he went over and gently poked it but did not get any sort of reaction.</p><p> </p><p>“Courage, seriously, why on earth are you being this way? You won't even talk to me so how the heck am I supposed to help?”</p><p> </p><p>The lump whimpered and shivered even harder.</p><p> </p><p>Atticus placed his paws onto his hips and shook his head. “This is getting ridiculous.”</p><p> </p><p>He grabbed a flap at the top of the lump and raised it up. He was met by Courage's frighteningly big, shimmering, tearful eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, <em>geez</em>!” He exclaimed, and unsure of what to do, he just...lowered the flap again.</p><p> </p><p>...Back to pacing it was then!</p><p> </p><p>More time passed with no change from Courage, and Atticus was starting to create a muddy hole in the floor so he figured that it was time to try again. This time he grabbed the blanket and pulled it off of Courage. He did not receive any sort of resistance to the action. Courage just continued to sit there looking like the saddest dog in the world.</p><p> </p><p>“For goodness sake, Courage!” Atticus finally cried out, grabbing him by the shoulders and yanking him limply onto his feet. “You're not supposed to be the depressed one!”</p><p> </p><p>Courage whimpered pathetically, his eyes still big and watery.</p><p> </p><p>Atticus let him go, hoping that he would continue to stand. Instead, he seemed to fold in on himself like he no longer had any bones in his body and melted into the grass below.</p><p> </p><p>“This is just great...” Atticus groaned, rubbing the back of his head.</p><p> </p><p>He took the limp Courage and put him back on the cot, frowning at him with a mixture of concern and annoyance.</p><p> </p><p>Courage sat there, sniffing and whimpering sorrowfully...for absolutely no reason at all.</p><p> </p><p>“I swear I'm going to kill Elizabeth. She never warned that something like this might happen.” Atticus groused. It was nearly half a day later and Courage was still only getting worse and worse. “What might make you feel better?” He asked his hapless companion out of desperation.</p><p> </p><p>Courage did not reply, he just continued to stare at him, looking all depressed and weepy.</p><p> </p><p>Atticus started to pace again, his worrying reaching all new heights. What if this was some sort of permanent side effect that the SCC had simply never documented before? It was entirely possible, especially given how long they had been together. Would...would Courage never go back to being himself?</p><p> </p><p>He slowed to a stop again, staring helplessly at his weepy companion. Surely there was <em>something </em>he could do to make him feel better?</p><p> </p><p>It was, of course, that exact moment when an idea struck him...but he really did not want to do it.</p><p> </p><p>He clasped his paws together and brought them up toward his snout, considering his options. Courage whimpered again, nearly breaking his blackened, shriveled heart in the process.</p><p> </p><p>It looked as if he had no other choice...</p><p> </p><p>As long as he didn't put his neck in to it, maybe...</p><p> </p><p>He exhaled loudly and helplessly. “I really, really, <em>really</em> don't want to do this, but if it makes you feel better...I guess I'm just going to have to take one for the team, and...well-” He lunged forward.</p><p> </p><p>He wrapped his arms around Courage in one of those crushing hugs that was usually done to '<em>him</em>', and very, very briefly nuzzled his depressed companion. Thoroughly flustered, he tried to free himself from the situation now that he had done what little he could for Courage, but his companion suddenly had his arms around him too in a vice-like grip. Courage buried the side of his face into his chest as hard as he could and began to sob like he had just gone through the saddest thing in the world.</p><p> </p><p>“H-hey!” Atticus stammered out, completely taken aback by this strange turn of events. “T-there's nothing to cry about! I...we-”</p><p> </p><p>“I feel empty!” Courage sobbed, barely even able to get the words out.</p><p> </p><p>“O-oh, well, that's-”</p><p> </p><p>“It feels like something important is missing now that you're gone!”</p><p> </p><p>“Ugh! I'm still here!”</p><p> </p><p>Courage clung to him even harder. “It doesn't change the way I feel! It's so awful! It's like a big, empty void has opened up inside of my brain and I'm about to fall in! I feel so alone!”</p><p> </p><p>Atticus's ears drooped at that. He was finally starting to understand just how bad this was for Courage. It wasn't just some silly, minor thing that he was going through. This was clearly some major and painful side effect from how long they had spent together in the same body, and Courage was going to need time and a little care to get better.</p><p> </p><p>Atticus placed a paw onto Courage's back. “Hey, it's going to be okay.”</p><p> </p><p>“No! No, it's not!” Courage choked out. “I'm going to lose you, and I'm going to lose Muriel too, and I'm going to be all alone! It doesn't matter if I survive my illness because I'm going to be alone! I'm going to lose everything! I can't take it! I'm so scared and it hurts so much!”</p><p> </p><p>It seemed that whatever void Atticus's presence had left behind in Courage's mind was causing some of his greatest anxieties to spiral out of control. Wanting nothing more than to comfort him, Atticus gently rubbed his back, hoping that it might help in some small way.</p><p> </p><p>“I won't let that happen, I swear it.” He assured Courage, and he meant every word of it. There were the puppies now, of course. And somehow, someway, he was going to save his fellow survivors of Charon from the clutches of the amalgamation, and when he did, Courage would have the biggest family anyone could ever ask for to last him the rest of his days.</p><p> </p><p>Courage pressed the side of his head into him even harder, as though that would somehow cause them to phase back together again.</p><p> </p><p>“Please, <em>please </em>don't leave me.” He whimpered.</p><p> </p><p>Atticus was utterly taken aback. The only thing he could think to do was chuckle sadly and say, “I'm not going anywhere yet. It's like you said before, we need to make the best out of the time we have left together, because we don't know what the future holds.” He closed his eyes and let his chin rest on top of Courage's head. “But I will do everything in my power to make sure your future is a happy one.”</p><p> </p><p>Courage raised his head so that they were eye to eye, his face one big, blubbery mess. He made one halfhearted attempt to clear away the tears wetting his fur and then leaned in and nuzzled Atticus with everything he had to give.</p><p> </p><p>With what was seemingly becoming tradition for the both of them, Atticus must have had a spectacularly stupid expression on his face afterwards because it somehow managed to break through Courage's sadness. He smiled, and with a sniff, began to laugh.</p><p> </p><p>Over the sound of Courage's soft laughter, a strange sort of '<em>fhwhap, fhwhap, fhwhap' </em>sound could be heard. Atticus frowned and looked around, but he could not find the source of it.</p><p> </p><p>He let go of Courage and turned to check behind him, since that seemed to be where the sound was coming from. The moment he did so, Courage's weak laughter became much stronger and more genuine.</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Atticus asked, turning back around only for the sound to stay directly behind him.</p><p> </p><p>“L-look, <em>look</em>! Y-your t-tail!” Courage fought to say since he could hardly stop laughing. “I wish I had a camera right now!”</p><p> </p><p>Atticus's expression turned to that of worry. “H-huh? What do you-” He craned his neck to try and see over his shoulder, and...</p><p> </p><p>“GAH!” He cried out, seeing now that his tail was wagging. “I-IT'S INVOLUNTARY!” He cried out, desperate to save face, and began spinning madly in a circle trying to catch it.</p><p> </p><p>After much panic and contorting himself, he finally managed to grab it. He glared at the thing, waited for a minute or two, and let it go...only for it to immediately start wagging again.</p><p> </p><p>He slapped a paw to his forehead and then sat down in the grass, making sure to keep his tail under him. He crossed his arms and put on a smug smile because he had beaten the thing at its own game. Courage sat down beside him, a grin still on his face, but that sadness was already starting to creep its way back in again.</p><p> </p><p>“Will you be okay?” Atticus asked, concerned once more.</p><p> </p><p>Courage closed his eyes and let out a sigh, his smile slowly melting into a frown. “I-I don't know. Something inside of me doesn't feel right anymore. It..it's awful.”</p><p> </p><p>“I think it will pass if you give it some time, and if not, well, I'll be here to help you adjust.” He put on a halfhearted smile. “I'm certainly well acquainted with the sort of thing you're feeling right now, unfortunately.”</p><p> </p><p>Courage laughed gratefully, and then, unable to stop himself, began to cry again. “S-sorry!”</p><p> </p><p>Atticus placed a paw onto his shoulder. “You don't have anything to apologize for. I'm happy to help you get through...whatever this is.”</p><p> </p><p>With a little urging, Atticus managed to get him to eat supper. Shortly after that, Atticus tried to make a game out of brainstorming dumb nicknames to distract him, but he just couldn't get into it. Still, he was so thankful for Atticus's attempt that he leaned in and nuzzled him again and got plenty of amusement out of watching that blue glow turn bright red.</p><p> </p><p>As night rolled in, Courage was so mentally exhausted and hurting that he decided he'd rather go to bed early. Since Atticus was so eager to help out, and since their pillow had long since disappeared since Lily stole it....Courage decided to make Atticus his new pillow. Once you got used to the bright red light that you could so easily see behind your closed eyelids, it made for a rather comfy way to sleep.</p><p> </p><p>…....</p><p> </p><p>Elizabeth was not one for fear or apprehension. She did what was necessary, with as little emotional attachment as possible, and never looked back once the deed was done. It was the only way you could survive as the leader of the SCC. You had to make the difficult choices with ruthless efficiency, lest the deaths of a few quickly become the deaths of millions.</p><p> </p><p>And so, when she opened the flap of the tent where the Construct of her father dwelt, she was surprised by her own hesitation. She stepped inside, feeling something that at least resembled the emotion of doubt. When she saw what awaited her in there, that foreign feeling of hesitation and doubt only grew.</p><p> </p><p>The dog and the Construct were asleep. To be more exact, the dog was lying on it with a cheek nestled against its chest. It had a paw resting on his back. The dog could not have looked more content in his sleep with that happy, little smile on his face and his tail somehow wagging even as he dreamed. The Construct was a different story, of course. It retained a somewhat serious expression even while it slept.</p><p> </p><p>What an odd pair. For as much as that...that <em>thing </em>resembled her father in so many ways, it was also nothing like him all at the same time. She, of course, understood perfectly well that a Construct was not the person they came from, but they sometimes still felt like uncanny shades of the people who died to make them. Most of the first ones had been 'friends' of her father, and it had been impossible for her not to notice how much those things seemed like ghostly imprints of them left lingering in the world.</p><p> </p><p>She could not help but note how much the dog seemed to be clinging to the Construct for support since their separation. She had seen much of the disastrous results of those early attempts at having Constructs possess fully conscious hosts. So many of the test subjects had come out of it beyond help, and many of the Constructs had stopped functioning optimally afterwards as well. These two were, by all accounts, the first Construct and host to have lived in harmony with one another without a catastrophic decline in the host's mental health. Well, that was not to say there weren't any lasting side effects, as was obvious now. The dog was clearly not taking the separation as well as he should be, while the Construct at least seemed to be unaffected. This was unquestionably a better outcome than the disastrous results of the past.</p><p> </p><p>In the end, Elizabeth decided to let them sleep. She was not one for pity or mercy, so she was not sure what compelled her to leave that tent and put her plans on hold for a little while longer. She did not feel bad for what she was going to do, and she did not feel bad for them either. Maybe, just maybe, she could empathize with that Construct on some small level. She would not wish what she was about to do on anyone...or anything. If it were her, she would consider it a fate worse than death. She loathed that Construct with every fiber of her being, but she was not looking forward to doing this, if only for her own sake more than its. It was necessary though. It needed to be done if they were to have any chance at putting a stop to the amalgamation.</p><p> </p><p>She just hoped that she would have the strength to look him in the eyes when the time came.</p><p> </p><p>End Of Chapter</p><p> </p><p>A/N: You guys are lucky that I cannot pun to save my life because if I could Computer's main post-character development trait would be him turning into a pun dispensing machine just to (affectionately) annoy the shit out of Courage...and you. LOL</p><p> </p><p>If there is one thing that I wish I would have done it's make Computer's dog a character of his own and an unwilling participant in all of this to really lean in to the unpleasant implications of it. I unfortunately did try to do a bit of a cop out with this back in Volume I by having the dog be 'dumb', which is easily one of my biggest mistakes with the story for way more than just one reason. I really, really, really don't like the implications I set up that it's okay for what gets done to the dog to happen because he's 'mentally lesser', and even just going with the concept of a 'dumb' anthro dog was just really poorly thought out on my part for incredibly obvious reasons. I've tried to fix this to some extent by making it clear in later parts of the story that the dog is not a dumb anthro dog but is instead literally just a regular, realistic, non-sentient dog from a mental standpoint and that non-sentient animals exist in the ATEverse alongside the sentient ones. It still isn't a great fix, and the implications are still there to some extent, but its just too late in the game to change it now. If I ever go back and make revisions, especially to Volume I like I've been wanting to for years now, this is one of the biggest mistakes I've made that I would like to fix.</p><p> </p><p>Besides, having a fully sentient and unwilling host just kinda fits better with the tragedy that is Computer's existence. He literally cannot live life as an organic being without depriving someone else of their own life. It makes how flawed and morally gray he often is all the more stark because, his host body being sentient or not, the fact that he's perfectly willing to sacrifice another living being without their permission, after having deemed them worthless because they are a 'stray', to save Courage is uhhhh... kinda really shitty. Yes, this was always the intent from day one. It was always meant to be a major issue slowly coming to a boil under the surface.</p><p> </p><p>This is also why, even if I had not explicitly set out to write an ace romance, Computer's asexuality would likely still be present because, yeeeaaahhh, there's a third party involved who cannot consent. It's also why I'm not big on even having them kiss and thus why I spent some time setting up nuzzling as a potential equivalent to kissing for dogs. (Computer already not being into the whole concept of kissing helps too LOL) Yeah, I do occasionally like to acknowledge the darker implications of how Computer treats the beings he takes over as nothing more than a body to puppet with little concern for their well being outside of what personally affects him while in the body, but there are certain lines I'm not going to cross with this lmao.</p><p> </p><p>I should also mention that there is not any meaning behind the name Atticus. It just ended up being the only name I could find that really seemed to fit him. It wasn't just a plot point in the story, finding a name that fits Computer is surprisingly hard. I do like the potential meanings you guys have been coming up with though. That it could be a play on the word Attic or that it's a pun of Abacus. The only issue I'm having with the name right now, aside from muscle memory causing me to type in Computer all of the time, is that I can't figure out if its better to use Atticus's or Atticus'. According to Google, either way is correct, but they both don't look particularly right to me. I've been using Atticus's for now and I'll probably keep using it for consistency sake.</p>
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